Postspawn Locations and Tactics

Post spawn can be a tough time but can be really good if you find the right spot. These fish usually will be the same area you found fish in the prespawn but the fish will be a little more lethargic after the rigors of spawning and a little worse for wear. This can be the time that some of the best topwater fishing of the year may occur. They will usually travel to that first break or point from their spawning grounds. I typically target these fish with topwaters, crankbaits, spinnerbaits, and carolina rigs.

Follow the channels or any other avenue the fish would use to travel from the spawning grounds to their summer haunts. Do a lot of searching til you find the groups of fish and areas that they will hold up in Some really great tactics to use right now are a buzzbait or topwater over flats and points with shallow cover for the sows to rest up in. Crankbaits and spinnerbaits when the fish won't come to the top and you are searching for fish. Slow down with a carolina rig or flipping bushes when a texas rigged creature bait if the fishing slows down. Roadbeds leading away from spawning areas back into deeper water can be a good target as they will have fish that are staging on them along the way as they travel to deeper water and their summer haunts. That first break in 4-8' of water off a spawning flat can really hold some good fish as well. This time of year you just have to search until you find them. You should be able to find groups in smaller areas as well right now, so when you catch one slow down and fish the area thouroughly.

Crappie mats are another overlooked cover this time of year. There is always a few of these located on the spawning flats and fish will go to those to rest before moving out of the flats. So if you can find and mark those you may very well hit a bonanza of fish that are as heavily fished as the bank fish especially if they are not marked.Use your GPS to mark these tops and fish them thouroughly with a texas rigged creature bait or spinnerbait. The fish will be feeding up preparing to make their trip out to the ledges for summer. Just fish a little slower once you get on the tactic and enjoy the great spring weather.

Good and luck and great fishing!!!

Here are some good articles on Postspawn and fishing right after the spawn.

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